The Buffalo Bills won’t be playing in Super Bowl LVI but do have two former players participating in Sunday’s big game with one player on each team. On the Cincinnati Bengals is starting guard Quinton Spain.
Spain joined Buffalo in 2019 as a free agent on a one-year deal after four seasons with the Tennessee Titans. That offseason, the Bills almost completely overhauled the offensive line with the only starter from the prior year being left tackle Dion Dawkins.
Spain would end up winning one of the starting guard spots and start every game for Buffalo. He played well enough to earn a three-year extension in 2020. However, his time with the Bills would be short-lived as he would be released in October of that season.
He joined the Cincinnati Bengals’ practice squad a few weeks later and eventually would move to the active roster. He would start eight games last year and re-sign with a one-year deal this past offseason and has started every game for the Bengals this year.
Brandon Powell’s time with the Buffalo Bills was short
The Cincinnati Bengals will be playing the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday and the Rams have Brandon Powell, who the Buffalo Bills signed to a one-year deal this past offseason. Powell was brought in to compete for the return jobs to replace Andre Roberts, who left in free agency last year.
The job would eventually be won by Isaiah McKenzie and Powell was released before the start of the season. After a brief stop with the Miami Dolphins, he was signed by the Rams and has been their primary returner in the second half of the year.
He only has six punt returns but has an impressive 22 yard average per punt from the regular season and returned one punt for a touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings.
While he won’t be playing in the Super Bowl, another former Buffalo Bills player on the Rams is wide receiver Robert Woods. He was a second round pick by the Bills in 2013 and after four seasons joined the Rams. However, he is on injured reserve due to an ACL injury in November and won’t be able to play.